Pyrophoric lighting mechanism



Dec. 25, 1934.

L. v. ARONSON 1,985,274 PYROPHORIC LIGHTING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 9, 1952 INVENTOR Louis VAronsom BY m 94 Q 16.1

AFTORNEYJ' Patented Dec. 25, 1934 1,985,274 PYROPHORIC LIGHTING MECHANISM Louis V. Aronson, Newark, N. 3., assignor to Art Metal Work Jersey 5, Inc.,

a corporation of New Application December 9, 1932, Serial No. 646,385 11 Claims. (CI. 67-71) My invention relates to pyrophoric lighting mechanism adapted for various uses such, for example, as ignition of tobacco in a pipe.

My invention, in an important phase thereof, relates to lighting mechanism of the character stated wherein the igniting flame is so positioned or located that it may be more advantageously utilized, for some purposes, than with devices of the prior art.

Various other advantages, characteristics and features of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

My invention resides in the .pyrophoric lighting mechanism, features and combination of parts of the character hereinafter described and claimed.

For an understanding of my invention and for an illustration of one of the many forms thereof,

reference is to be had ing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of lighting mechanism as constructed ance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing the mechanism of Fig. 1 with various parts in different positions;

Fig. 3 is an elevational operation of the device;

Fig.4 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of a part of my novel mechanism; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a part of my novel mechanism.

For purposes of explanation, I have illustrated my invention in connection with pyrophoric lighting mechanism of a type well known in the art. Such mechanism comprises a fuel casing C carrying a plug 1 which may be removed from the casing bottom wall for the admission of fuel of any suitable character. A pair of spaced standards 2, 2a upstand from the top casing wall,

to the accompanying drawpyrophoric in accordview illustrating the these standards carrying a transverse member 3 on which side by side wheels 4 and 5 are mounted for free rotatable movement. As shown, the wheel 4 has a serrated or roughened surface while the wheel 5 is of the ratchet type, these two wheels being suitably secured together for rotatable movement as a unit.

Coactable with the serrated wheel 4 is a pyrophoric element 5a which, in the example shown, extends slightly beyond the upper open end of a tube 6 carried by and extending longitudinally It shall be understood that the arrangement described above In the example shown, although not neces sar' y, a. vertically extending'reciprocatory member 11 is provided for effecting the above noted oscillatory movement of the lever 10. The member 11 is freely slidable within a tube 12 carried the tube 12 member 11 to bias the same in an upward direction, Fig. 4. The reciprocatory member 11 comprises a knob structure 14 having spaced, parallel sections 15, 15a extending toward the transverse member 3. At their ends, these members 15, 15a are provided with sets of rack teeth, respectively, which mesh with the respective pinion wheels 9, 9a.

At the free end of the hereinbefore described lever 10, there is mounted a cap member 16 which, in the example shown, is'maintained in fixed position by a screw 1'7 carried by said lever 10. The screw 17 receives, in threaded relation, the shank 18a of a member 18 which comprises a plurality of prongs utilizable for securing a pad of absorbent material 19 thereto.

In the example illustrated, although not necessarily, the base of a pawl 20a is clamped between a surface of the lever 10 and the hereinbefore described cap member 16, the pawl 20a extending toward and being coactable with the aforesaid ratchet wheel 5.

The top wall of the casing C is apertured for the reception of a supplementary casing or chamber 20 which is open at the top thereof and fixed in suitable manner to said top casing wall. As-shown, the chamber 20 has a depending tube 21 which extends into the body of fuel contained within the casing C, said chamber 20 containing a mass of absorbent material 22 which, if desired, may be covered by a sheet of metallic gauze or the like, not shown, to prevent or impede ignition of the fuel in said chamber 20.

The parts of my novel mechanism are shown in Fig. 4 as positioned in their respective nonoperated positions. When thus positioned, the cap member 16 is biased toward and into engagement with the top surface of the chamber 20 by the expansive effect of vthe spring 13. Accordingly, the chamber 20 is sealed to prevent evaporation of fuel.

In operation. the knob structure 14 may be depressed to thereby swing the lever 10 in a clockwise direction, Fig. 4. By so doing, the pawl 20a is caused to c'oact with the ratchet wheel 'to impart similar rotative movement thereto and to the wheel 4. As a result, the wheel 4 coaets with the pyrophoric element 5a to produce a shower of sparks which are directed toward the now elevated pad of material 19 which, meanwhile, has taken up a charge of fuel by absorption from the fuel in the chamber 20.

, Accordingly, said charge of fuel is ignited at the pad 19, Fig. 1, and the resultant flame may be utilized in any desired manner. Thereafter, manual pressure may be released from the knob 14 to permit the parts to return to their respective positions as shown in Fig. 4. In so doing, the cap member 16 is reseated upon the chamber 20 to thereby extinguish the flame and reseal said chamber.

It will be understood that the tube 6 is so related to the wheel 4 that the pyrophoric element 5a engages the latter in such position that the shower of sparks is directed upwardly in the proper direction to effect ignition of the fuel at the pad 19. This feature is illustrated in As illustrated in Fig. 4, the casing 0 contains a quantity of liquid fuel which, if desired, may be high test gasoline. This fuel is transferred to the chamber 22.by way of the pipe 21, such transfer being effected by capillary action or by actual flow as effected, for example, when the casing C is subjected to a jarring action or when it is in a non-vertical position. The absorbent material 22 in the chamber 20 readily holds in suspension the fuel which has been transferred thereto and, in turn, this fuel is transferred to the pad of material 19.

It shall be understood that various arrangements of generally equivalent character may be utilized for transferring fuel to the pad 19, or equivalent. Further, it is to be understood that various practical arrangements may be employed for passing fuel into the chamber 22, or equivalent, when the main body of fuel is of jelly-like character rather than liquid.

In no manner at all is my invention, in the broader forms thereof, to be limited to the utilization of operating mechanism comprising the parts 11, 14, 15, etc. Obviously, other equivalent forms of mechanism may be substituted therefor or, if desired, the operating mechanism may be entirely omitted.

The advantages of my invention are numerous and of importance. In the first place. the flame is so positioned that access thereto is relatively free and uninterrupted. This is particularly desirable especially for the ignition of tobacco in a pipe. In the second place, it is highly desirable for a device of the character described to have a supply of liquid fuel as such rather than liquid fuel absorbed in absorbent material, this, of course, greatly reducing the fuel volume. This condition is satisfied with the described mechanism which utilizes the primary body of liquid fuel contained in the casing C. Again, the usual wick of the prior art is omitted from the present f construction, this being desirable under some circumstances since, as well understood, the use of wicks, particularly over long periods of time, proves somewhat objectionable in certain respects.

While the invention has been described with respect to a certain particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without depart ing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended glaims to cover all such changes and modificaions.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Pyrophoric lighting mechanism comprising a fuel casing, means defining a chamber for re-. ceiving fuel from said casing, means normally disposed in said chamber for the reception of a charge of fuel, said second-named means being movable from said chamber for the ignition of said charge of fuel, and spring-controlled manually operative means for moving said secondnamed means toward and from said chamber.

2. Pyrophoric lighting mechanism comprising a casing having a supply of liquid fuel therein,

means defining a chamber for receiving fuel from said casing, means normally disposed in said chamber for the reception of a charge of fuel, said second-named means being movable from said chamber for the ignition of said charge of fuel, and spring-controlled manually operative means for moving said second-named means toward and from said chamber.

3. Pyrophoric lighting mechanism comprising a casing having a supply of liquid fuel therein, a chamber, a pipe of restricted diameter affording communication between said casing and chamber, absorbent material in said chamber, means normally disposed in said chamber for the reception of a charge of fuel, said means being movable from said chamber for the ignition of said charge of fuel, and spring-controlled manually operative means for moving said means toward and from said chamber.

4. Pyrophoric lighting mechanism comprising a fuel casing, a pivoted member at the top of said casing, a vertically reciprocatory member for elevating said pivoted member, a pad of material carried by said pivoted member, means for directing a shower of sparks toward saidpad of material upon elevation thereof to ignite a charge of fuel carried thereby, said pivoted member for coaction with means carried by said casing to snuff the flame resulting from ignition of said charge of fuel.

5. Pyrophoric lighting mechanism comprising a fuel casing, a pivoted member at the top of said casing, a vertically reciprocatory member for elevating said pivoted member, a pad of material carried by said pivoted member, means actuated by said reciprocatory member for directing a shower of sparks toward said pad of material upon elevation thereof to ignite a charge of fuel carried thereby, and means carried by said pivoted member for coaction with means carried by said casing to snuff the flame resulting from ignition of said charge of fuel.

6. Pyrophoric lighting mechanism comprising a fuel casing, means defining an open-top chamber at the top of said casing, absorbent material in said chamber, means for transferring fuel from and means carried by I said casing to said chamber, a pivoted member at the top of said casing, a cap carried by said pivoted member for closing said chamber, a pad of absorbent material carried by said pivoted member for reception in said chamber when said cap is closed thereon, and means for directing a shower of sparks toward said pad of material upon elevation thereof from said chamber.

7. In pyrophoric lighting mechanism, a casing adapted to have fuel disposed therein, a pivoted snufler member, means carried thereby for re ceiving a charge of fuel from said casing, and means for igniting said charge of fuel only after said first named means has been entirely removed from said casing.

8. In pyrophoric lighting machanism, a casing adapted to have fuel disposed therein, a chamber adapted to receive fuel from said casing, a pivoted snufier member, and means carried thereby for receiving a charge of fuel from said chamber 9. In pyrophoric lighting mechanism, a casing adapted to have fuel disposed therein, a chamber adapted to receive fuel from said casing, a pivoted snuffer member,'a member carried thereby for sealing said chamber, and a pad of absorbent material carried by said snufier member for receiving a charge of fuel from said chamber.

10. In pyrophoric lighting mechanism, a casing adapted to have fuel disposed therein, a chamber, means for transferring fuel from said casing to said chamber, a pivoted snufier member, a member carried thereby for sealing said chamber, and a pad of absorbent material carried by said snuifer leverfor receiving a charge of fuel from said chamber.

11. Pyrophoric lighting mechanism comprising a fuel casing, a pivoted member at the top of said casing, means for elevating said pivoted member, a pad of material carried by said pivoted member, means for directing a shower of sparks toward said pad of material upon elevatio'n thereof to ignite a charge of fuel carried thereby, and means carried by said pivoted member for coaction with means carried by said casing to snuff the flame resulting from ignition of said charge of fuel.

LOUIS V. ARONSON. 

